Everything I Love Is Of Earth
by Alannada
Summary: They leave the Earth to go to the Silver Kingdom, just to find out that what they love the most is of Earth. The story of how it all went to hell and then got worse, but as long as thy had each other they were fine. Until he was left alone.
1. Start Note and List of Generals

**Everything I Love Is Of Earth**

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Summary: They leave the Earth to go to the Silver Kingdom, just to find out that what they love the most is of Earth.  
There's a story playlist on my YT channel, just type the name of the fic in the search bar.

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**Start Note and List of Generals**

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This story is a rewrite of an old fic that had been only on AO3, that was terribly written and unfinished.

Originally Posted: 2016-01-24 - 2018-01-31  
I'm not sure how often I'll post.  
Feedback is love.

Also - I'm going with the Old Anime canon. I've never read the manga and I watched only 13 episodes of Crystal, so if you're looking for more manga-canon story, this one might not be for you.  
So, no complaining about Zoisite being called 'strawberry blonde' or having red hair.

Also - majority of the story takes place in the far past, majorly on the moon. But I'm choosing to be lazy and follow the current map of Earth for geographical stuff. I just think trying to add palaeogeography on top of a Sailor Moon AU could make my brain turn into a pudding.  
And, just to soothe my other scientific itch - I will disregard all the issues with different gravity and lack of atmosphere on the moon, since they were never addressed in canon. You can just imagine that there was magic at work, so the moon was more akin to Earth. For crying out loud they had flowing water and flowers there in canon.

List of Generals  
(So no one gets confused who is who)

Kunzite - General of Western Asia  
Jadeite - General of Eastern Asia  
Zoisite - General of Europe  
Nephrite - General of Northern America  
Vivianite - General of Southern America  
Olivin - General of Africa  
Obsidian - General of Antarctica  
Alexandrite - General of Australia

The first chapter is going to be uploaded in a few minutes. 


	2. Helios' Dream

A/N: Kunzite doesn't want to socialize.

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**Helios' Dream**

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A man sat in a chair, his hand resting casually on a pedestal in front of him, his thumb almost brushing the crystal orb embedded in the steel surface. The orb was dark like the space between the stars, but the man knew that one touch of his hand would make it glow like the Moon.

The same Moon that hung in front of the star ship's nose, a pearl glowing against the cosmic void. In the silver light the man's uniform looked almost as white as his long hair. The light illuminated the whole room - the man sitting in one of the five chairs, darkened screens, keyboards and panels. Only the screen in front of the chair to his right was glowing, indicating that a few minutes ago someone had been using it.

The man allowed a small smile to curl the corners of his lips upwards at the memory of Prince Endymion sitting in his usual place, double checking the coordinates and how long it'd take Helios' Dream to get to the Moon and the Silver Kingdom. The Prince's eyes had been shining with barely controlled impatience and longing as he'd looked up to the Moon. It had been clear to the man sitting silently in the empty room, that the Prince was smitten, both with the neighboring kingdom and with its Princess.

This trip was yet another step on the way of tightening the ties connecting the Earth and the Silver Kingdom. They had never been much bigger than formal audiences here and there, old treaties of peace and some trade. Fate had had it that during one of such audiences, a certain Princess had joined the embassy and had met a certain Prince.

And now they both tried to make their kingdoms become allies. The man smiled a bit wider, thinking that the pair was on a good way. Maybe, one day, they could be joined in a union, with them at the helm. If anyone could join the two countries, it was them.

And he was rooting for them.

His hand moved to touch the orb, causing it to start glowing softly.

"Helios, shades."

"Aye, general Kunzite," replied the computer in Helios' voice. The room darkened, the image of the celestial object in front of the ship turning gray. Shadows lengthened and darkened, blanketing the bridge.

The man sighed.

He could be rooting for his Prince and his vision of unity and peace, but he still wasn't happy he had to leave the Earth, alongside the rest of the generals. Sure, they had been escorting the Prince to the Moon in the past, but usually in pairs.

This visit was going to be different than the past ones, the Prince had been invited to attend the Princess' birthday and had ordered all eight of the generals to come with him. It was going to be a sign of good will and respect to the Silver Kingdom, but also a chance for the generals to meet in person the famous Sailor Scouts, including the legendary Outer Scouts. Kunzite had been to the Moon twice already and had never met any of the female warriors.

Still, he didn't like that he had to leave the globe to see them. It was in part because they all were going to be gone for at least a week. And, in part, it was because he didn't really feel like spending time around most of his fellow generals.

It was not his fault that they were so obnoxious, loud, weird or simply annoying. It was not his fault he didn't like Nephrite getting drunk with Alexandrite and singing country songs. It wasn't his fault he couldn't stand Jadeite bragging about how his youmas were prettier than anyone else. It wasn't his fault he had no patience for Vivianite's terrible dad jokes. They were usually manageable if there were less than three in one place, but all of them together... Kunzite shivered at the thought.

He didn't spend much time with them on Earth, being stuck with them on the ship and later in the Silver Palace... It was going to be a real trial of patience. He grimaced, remembering Prince Endymion joking that it was going to be a great opportunity for him to form closer bonds with his fellow generals before Olivin stepped down as the head general.

In his own opinion, Kunzite had a very good bonds with his fellow generals. He could message them any time he wanted, it was not his fault some of them never typed back, but insisted on calling or visiting him to work out details of their missions. Besides, they seemed to be perfectly fine wrecking up the common chamber of Helios' Dream without his help.

He could almost hear Obsidian singing one of the terrible songs he wrote and insisted on performing publicly. It was Zoisite, Vivianite and Jadeite's fault, since they were always asking him about his newest 'hot hits'. His latest 'masterpiece' was titled 'The Marsian Maiden and Many Mushrooms' and was going to cause a diplomatic incident. Kunzite was sure of it. So far it had caused him a migraine when he'd heard it the last month.

That was what he had been doing when Kunzite had fled the chamber. He'd come to the bridge and had relieved the navigator officer watching over the course. Helios' Dream could easily travel between the Earth and the Moon, but sitting in the shadowy, quiet room was better than the loud place with too many people.

A soft hiss of the door sliding open behind him caused him to turn his head and look at the intruder.

An angel stood in the bright square of light coming from the corridor lights. The halo of warm light encircled their head and for a moment Kunzite could just stare, feeling as if he'd been dreaming this entity invading his darkness with their light.

"Kunzite?" the intruder said hesitantly and Kunzite blinked. It was just Zoisite. It almost made him chuckle at his foolishness, no sane person would mistake the General of Europe for an angel. He was too loud and energetic for a heavenly spirit. No angel was so reckless, feisty and unintentionally destructive. "Are you in here?"

"Yes. Helios, shades off," he ordered, his hand touching the orb for a moment. The shadows receded fluidly when the full light of the Moon filled the room while the computer murmured its response.

"Aargh!" Zoisite shielded his eyes with a hand. "Thanks for the warning!"

"Now you can see that I'm here and not a disembodied recording playing on loop," Kunzite said, a tad sourly.

"It wasn't my idea," Zoisite muttered and entered the chamber, allowing the door to slid close. Not a month ago, when the generals of Europe and both Americas had joined for a mission in a submerged city in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, the two mischievous idiots had pranked Nephrite while investigating a labyrinth of corridors and chambers. The purr General of North America had spend an hour exorcising the structure and then a whole quarter of an hour trying to convince him, Kunzite, that ghosts were existing down there and wanted him to go down there and build a snowmen they could posses and interact with the material world. "It was Viv's revenge on Neph."

Kunzite shook his head. "Just tell me, what do you want."

"Ah, yes, sure," the shorter man grinned. "Our Prince sent me here to relieve you from the duty of overseeing the course, so you can join the rest and have some fun."

"I refuse," Kunzite didn't hesitate and looked at the other man, frowning at that annoyingly innocent smile of his.

"What? I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of piloting a star ship," huffed the strawberry blonde man. Kunzite almost smirked at the adorable irked face he made. He couldn't look threatening even if he wanted to.

"I don't doubt your abilities," Kunzite turned to face the screens again. "I just refuse to leave this room. There is nothing standing in your way of staying here."

A second passed before he heard the other man move. Zoisite walked to the chair on his right and sat there. Kunzite cast a side glance his way to see him pout as he tapped the keyboard, waking up the screen and checking the coordinates.

He wasn't bothered by that, it was only right to check them and the radars. The route to the Moon wasn't terribly long, but there was no such thing as trusting your luck when you flew through the cosmic void. A stray space rock could endanger the whole ship and since all the generals and the crown prince were on deck, Helios' Dream could be a very tempting, very easy target for anyone planning an invasion on Earth. The Solar System was peaceful for the most part, but that didn't mean they could be lazy.

All the generals had went through a piloting training, even if they rarely left the globe. Kunzite was fairly decent at it, but Zoisite was a real talent. He observed his screen with interest shining in his eyes.

Kunzite watched the other man playing with a strand of his hair that had fallen out of his ponytail, before he leaned in and touched the small orb positioned to his right, a miniature of the one in front of Kunzite.

"Helios, prepare the ion cannon," Kunzite blinked at the command.

"Aye, general Zoisite. Ion cannon at ready in five seconds."

"What...?" Kunzite asked. At the same time Zoisite targeted something on the screen and gave the order to fire. He could see a thin streak of light flash across the big screen in front of them, followed by something dark exploding at the impact. The destroyed object had been far away from the ship. Zoisite glanced at his companion and shrugged.

"A piece of rock. It had to go," he said. Kunzite raised an eyebrow..

"It wasn't on the collision course with us."

"It was possible it'd hit the Earth or be pulled back by the Moon," Zoisite leaned back against his chair and crossed his legs, obviously pleased with himself. That explanation was valid enough, so when a second later Kunzite saw the Prince's face in his orb, he offered a small smile to the concerned man.

"What's going on there?" Prince Endymion asked. "I was alerted you started firing at something."

"The General of Europe eliminated a potential meteor," Kunzite explained.

"Ah, alright. Why are you still there?"

"I think I'll stick around to make sure he won't go trigger happy," Kunzite smirked when he heard a snort from the side. The Prince sighed, but nodded.

"Alright," he said. Before he disconnected, Kunzite could hear the atrocious sounds of Obsidian's favorite song played on a a flute.

He almost felt sorry for poor Endymion. But, come to think about it, the Prince seemed to enjoy the rowdy company.

"You really don't want to join them?" Zoisite asked. "I mean they have fun and there's little to do here, since there's nothing to shoot at in the reasonable distance."

"I knew it, you just wanted to fire the ion cannon."

Zoisite laughed softly at his accusation and Kunzite couldn't help, but chuckle himself. 


	3. The Arrival

A/N: I'm not sure how updates will go. I'd like to release new chapters weekly, but I'm not very good with deadlines.  
Read and revieve as you please.

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**The Arrival**

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When Helios' Dream landed, Kunzite was at his Prince's side amused by the impatience and longing in his gaze as he looked at the distant spires and towers of the capitol city of the Silver Kingdom, with the Silver Palace in its heart. Finally they all felt the star ship land on the field, shaking just a bit as it made contact with the ground.

"We have landed," came the computer's voice from the Prince's wrist where he had his communicator, doubling as a watch. "Generals Nephrite and Vivianite are leaving the bridge."

"Good. Tell them to join us," the Prince ordered. The rest of the generals were probably on their way already, headed to this room and the main entrance of the ship.

Kunzite smiled when he saw the Prince again glance towards the reinforced glass window to the station building not too far from their landing spot.

"It won't take long, be patient," he said, causing the Prince to blush faintly and smile sheepishly.

"I know. I just want to see her happy smile and listen to her voice," he muttered, glancing away. Kunzite shook his head.

"Truly, a man in love is not much different from a man struck by insanity," h teased.

"Just wait, when you're in love, I will make you regret comments like this," Endymion pretended to glare at him.

"Of course. If such a thing ever happens, I will accept all the wisdom you will see fit to bestow upon me, my Prince," he smirked.

The Prince of Earth glanced his way, but didn't have a chance to reply, because the other generals joined them. Soon it was time to leave the ship and the Prince led them to the smooth rock of the landing platform.

There was a small group of people waiting to greet them and Kunzite almost smirked when he heard Olivin, walking beside him down the trap, gasp in shock.

"It's the Queen!" he breathed out. The African general was the oldest of them all and it was his last official mission as the head general, since he was going to cede the title to Kunzite after returning to Earth. It was fitting, that for this last mission as their leader, he was going to visit the Moon and see its ruler in person for the first time in his life. All the southern generals were of King's generation and for most it was their first time seeing the Silver Kingdom. With Prince Endymion taking over the generals as the crown heir, there was going to be more diplomatic meetings and visits between two lands.

"Yes," Kunzite whispered as they walked, side by side behind the Prince. "And the lady at her right, she is Princess Serenity."

"They both came here to greet us?" the older man was stunned.

"The Silver Kingdom has different customs than we do," Kunzite replied. "And, after all, we are their closest neighbor, it's no surprise they are here."

The Queen and the Princess were surrounded by a squad of Royal Guards, but Kunzite didn't see any females among them, so he could rule out the chance of seeing one of the Sailor Scouts. It seemed the Princess wanted to make sure both groups didn't see each other before the party this night.

"I suppose." Olivin inclined his head. Soon after that, the sound of the wind turbines cooling down Dream's engines died down and they were able to hear the other group.

The Queen was a truly regal, yet kind person. As a goddess of the Moon she held great power, a benevolent ruler that did everything for her people and had their unyielding loyalty in return. She greeted them formally and introduced the girl at her side to the older generals - the northern ones had met her before already at least once.

Kunzite found it pretty amusing that the Princess seemed to have a problem with focusing on the introductions, glancing at the Prince quite often. When the group went to the carriages that were meant to carry them to the palace, it fell on him to deal with the surprised companions staring at the huge rabbits pulling the vehicles.

Luckily no one started pointing fingers at the creatures the size of an elephant. The ride was uneventful and short. Kunzite let Nephrite answer all the questions the southern generals had, he could just sit by the window and look at the fields of rice that spread to the horizon.

He allowed himself to relax only when he finally got to the room he was assigned to every time he visited the palace. All the generals had rooms in the guest wing. They weren't fancy apartments with spacious living rooms and bedrooms like the one Prince Endymion was staying in. Kunzite's chamber was big enough to comfortably fit a bed, a table with three chairs and a wardrobe. There was no carpet on the marble floor and he was supposed to wear slippers, that currently waited for him next to the door to a small, functional bathroom. The sleeping area was divided from the living space by a thick curtain depicting a garden, with cranes flying above it.

Kunzite sighed and took off his gloves. It wasn't home, but it was manageable. Still, he missed the thick carpets that silenced his steps, where he could sit or lay on them. He missed the thin veils allowing the breeze to play with, the familiar sound of mountain forests or sea waves of his lands. He could open the window and let in the air from the gardens, but he knew the smell of the Moon flowers was mellow and too sweet for him.

Unpacking took him literally no time, so he could use it to set up his computer and check in on his fellow generals.

Yes, he was aware that their rooms were just down the corridor.

Yes, he just texted them to make sure they were settling down and were preparing mentally for the party.

When he made sure others were fine, he sat as comfortably as he could on the cool floor, rested his hands on his knees and devoted himself to meditating, which his first officer dubbed 'doing nothing'. He smirked, thinking about her, she was back on Earth and overseeing his lands until his return. He could be sure of at least one thing - she'd fight like a desert lioness to keep the Western Asia in perfect condition. Kunzite could focus on the matters on the silver globe.

A light knock on his door made him lift his head. A man in black tuxedo and top hat, a mask covering his face, walked in without a proper invitation, making Kunzite frown in annoyance.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice flat. The man smirked and touched the edge of his hat, his other hand making a flowing gesture with the black cape he wore.

"I believe you didn't recognize me in my fabulous get up," he said mirthfully.

"I am perfectly aware, who you are, Endymion. And I ask once again: what do you want?"

"Just came to see how you're doing," the Prince grinned. Since the ceremony when he had become the crown heir, Kunzite had never spoken so familiarly to him when others were present, but since now they were alone, his old friend dropped the titles. The Prince looked around the room and noticed the computer on the table. "I see you got comfy."

Kunzite lifted an eyebrow when his liege sat down on one of the chairs. "It's still a couple of hours before the party starts. Why are you dressed up like this?"

"Oh, yeah, you see," the black-haired man grinned and winked from behind his mask. "I was told that the birthday party is going to be a mask ball."

"A mask ball," Kunzite repeated.

"Yes, guests are supposed to wear costumes. It was a kinda recent development, but I think it will be really fun." the Prince explained. "Besides, you will have a chance to try and find the Sailor Scouts, they will be at the party, in costumes that is. Serenity and I want to see which team will guess more of the other team's members."

"Uh," the white-haired man stared at his superior. "Aren't we at a disadvantage, having only hours to prepare the costumes?"

"I believe you will pull through," Endymion winked and stood up. "Alright, I have to go and tell the rest. See you soon."

Kunzite waited until Endymion left the room before he groaned and fell back to the floor. He grunted at the cool, hard stone and got up, missing his shaggy carpets even more. Well, he supposed he could at least pretend he tried to meet the Prince's expectations in this matter.

Generals of Earth, each powerful in his own right, playing dress up games on a party of the Princess of the neighboring kingdom. He shook his head, thinking that maybe the others would appreciate the idea more.

A quick search in his computer told him that at least the nearest costume shop was not far away, still in walking distance.

The Moon people used some of the Earth's tech, but most of them refrained from it. They were more spiritually gifted than people of the Earth. They also seemed to be more free spirited and artistic. And masters at making confusing signs.

Kunzite stood at the corner of a street, trying to figure out where the shop was. Being unable to find it for the past quarter of an hour haven't put him in the best of moods. He stood, staring down the alley where the shop should've been, but there was nothing. but a hair dresser, a restaurant and a bunch of little shops, none having anything akin to a costume.

A weaker man would've started throwing ice balls.

Kunzite just closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Um, excuse me?" he heard a hesitant, feminine voice and looked to his right.

A girl in an orange dress stood not even a meter away. She had long blonde hair, pulled away from her face with a ribbon. Her lovely eyes were looking at him with concern. "Can I help you, maybe?"

He gave an affirmative nod. A weaker man would shoo her away but Kunzite was nothing, if not a man who could recognize fortune smiling at him.

Her clothing looked expensive and she held herself with a regal elegance, she was for sure one of the court women of the Silver Palace. Which meant she knew the layout of the city, so inadequately depicted on the map on his computer

"Actually, yes, my lady," he said with a polite bow. "I am searching for a shop that should be down this alley. Sadly, I haven't found it yet."

She smiled brilliantly. "Let me guess, the costume shop?" He let out a heavy sigh, which made her giggle and wave a hand at him. "I am headed that way too, so I can show you. By the way my name is Minako."

"You, lady Minako, are a true ray of sunlight," he muttered, causing her to look away and blush, her hand going to touch her cheek. "I am Kunzite."

"Are you from Earth?" she asked as they both started walking, the girl easily matching his steps.

"Correct," he muttered. "I am certain no Moon dweller would've needed help navigating through the city."

"Oh, not necessarily," she assured him. "Some parts of it are quite stable, others change rather rapidly, so sometimes even my friends and myself get lost."

They talked pleasantly as they walked, passing by denizens of the capitol running errands. No one paid them any attention and he found himself rather enjoying the walk, the lovely architecture, the pleasant atmosphere of the area. That is, until Minako stopped in front of a red painted door and pointed at it, telling him that it was their destination.

Of course the map had an error. The blasted costume shop was located two alleys further away from the palace.

A weaker man would've teleported to his Prince's side to tell him what he thought about his 'perfectly accurate map of the capitol'.


	4. The Rabbit and the Fox

A/N; Read and review as you please.

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**The Rabbit and the Fox**

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The ball room was lit by multiple chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. People in flowing robes in pastel colors crowded the main floor and the balconies that encircled the Moon at the height the floor of the second story should be. Streamers and drapes adorned the columns lining the walls and supporting the balconies, each with its own lamp.

One of the balconies was occupied by musicians, playing softly in the background for the handful of couples dancing in the designated area. Other people were walking around or stood near the tables lining one of the walls, eating tiny sandwiches and other party treats. And they all were talking and laughing, obviously enjoying themselves.

Kunzite tensed as he took in this sight, stopping for a moment in the open door of the ballroom. Only because it was his duty to be present and because of his companion he stepped in the crowded room where music and many voices mixed.

"Is something the matter?" asked the woman at his arm and he looked down to her, offering her a reassuring smile.

"I am not necessarily a party person, Lady Minako," he said. "It takes a moment to adjust."

"I'm sure you will have fun," she assured him with a happy expression on her face.

After her helping him find the blasted shop, he had asked her if he could do anything for her. As it turned out, the lovely lady had had no one to escort her to the ball, so he had offered to do that for her.

And now she was leading him through the crowded room to one of the tables. She called and waved to a group of girls and before he could say anything, he was surrounded by females in flowing dresses, each of different color, each looking at him and Minako with shining eyes and excited smiles. Of course, they wore costumes, more or less elaborate. Each wore a mask adorned with little stars, hearts or flowers. It proved to be helpful to remember their names during the introductions. Each was happily talking to the rest and Minako joined the chattering with enthusiasm.

He was about to make himself sparse, when another couple joined the small congregation next to the sandwich table. Kunzite almost laughed at the sight of Nephrite in a tuxedo and mask a lot like the Prince's. No one would mistake them for each other, because Nephrite had his hair, as usual, down. At his arm was a petite, smiling girl with wavy hair and fairy wings strapped to her back. The men exchanged nods, but while Kunzite remained a bit behind, Nephrite joined the talk. Kunzite lifted his head and looked around, trying to determine, if it'd be seen as impolite, if he just left. After all, he wasn't Lady Minako's partner, just had come to the ball with her. A glance her way told him that she obviously wouldn't notice, chatting away with the newest female addition to the group, Naru, while the remaining three girls occupied Nephrite's attention.

Without thinking he uncrossed his arms and ran his left hand through his hair. He almost knocked his headband off of his head and groaned internally as he fixed it back in place. He was wasting his time here, he should be looking for a person he wanted to talk to tonight. It was the perfect opportunity for a casual talk, but he had to find that person first.

A flash of red caught his eye and he saw a woman in the crowd. She wore a hat with two horns, to which a crimson veil was attached, falling in cascades to partially obscure her hair, that shone like gold and flames. Her dress was red as well. She stood with her back towards him and for a moment he was able to only stare at her until someone moved and she was no longer in sight.

It was the same exact color, the same wild mane of unruly waves.

He took a step to follow the woman, but at the same time a sweet voice called his name from behind him.

"Lord Kunzite!" he turned around and immediately bowed. Clad in white, pearls shining around her neck and in her ears, a tiny tiara adorning her head, along with a pair of white ears stood, the rabbit Princess of the Moon. She covered her mouth and giggled. "You're a bunny too!"

He reached to the hair band that had a pair of gray rabbit ears attached to it, positioned on top of his head.

"Aye, it looks like we shared the idea for the costume, my Princess," Kunzite bowed his head again. "May the stars bless you with their grace, radiant Princess, at the anniversary of your birth."

"Thank you," the girl blushed and looked down, a pleased smile playing across her lips. She looked like an innocent angel,, graceful and lovely.

"Would it be bold to ask for a dance?" he asked. He didn't really want to dance right now, he wanted to find that woman with the red veil, but it would be rude to leave the Princess after being approached by her.

"Oh, of course!" she put her delicate hand in his offered one and allowed him to lead her away from the table and the group of giggling girls, to where people were dancing. When the musicians saw the Princess stepping on the dance floor, they started a new song. Kunzite sighed in relief at the familiar waltz, he wasn't used to dancing the fancy moon dances.

"Thank you for coming to the Moon with Prince Endymion," the Princess spoke when they were moving through the steps and swirls of the dance. He looked down at her and offered a small smile.

"It is my pleasure to attend your birthday party, my Princess," he assured her politely.

"I saw you already made friends with Minako and the rest," she added with a giggle. "You know, Lord Kunzite, you looked very cute together."

"Lady Minako was kind enough to help me find the costume shop," he explained, a bit stunned at the Princess' comment. She giggled and glanced to where the blonde girl talked to Nephrite and Naru. When she noticed them looking her way she smiled at them and blushed, before turning back to her companions. The Princess muffled a laughter.

"She is single, by the way. So does Naru," she informed him and Kunzite was able to only stare at her for a moment.

Well, it was a party, not a formal meeting, so it was no surprise she, as other people, was acting less formal. But it was the first time Kunzite saw the Princess not as the serene daughter of the Moon goddess, but a girl akin to the ladies of the Earth.

"I... I will pass this information to Nephrite," he uttered. It was actually nice to see that the Prince's beloved had a personality beside her usual aloof demeanor. Her forwardness was quite refreshing, he decided.

He took a step back and bowed when the song ended. He was about to lead her back to her friends, but suddenly a man in a black tuxedo stood at their side, smirking.

"My Princess, may I have the honor of the next dance?" he asked. Kunzite almost shook his head in amusement at the pair. She blushed and put her hand in the one offered by the man, so Kunzite let go of her and stepped away. There was no need to say anything along the lines of hoping to have another dance with her, she was already oblivious to his presence, gazing in the dark eyes of the masked man.

Well, this way he was free to roam the ballroom - not that he was fond of meandering between groups of people, but he wanted to find the woman with the red veil, the one who had the exact color of hair he had seen only on one person.

It proven to be a hard task - for some reason the woman in bright red dress was harder to find in the crowd of people in pale colors than a needle in a haystack. It was as if she didn't want him to find her and Kunzite was heavily tempted to drop his search. The only reason he was wandering across the crowd was that he couldn't spot the other person he had been planning to talk to.

He was fully aware the Prince expected him to mingle and find out who the Sailor Scouts were, but he was confident the other generals would be more inclined to do that. During his rounds he spotted almost all of them, engaged in discussion with various guests. They wore costumes, just like everyone else. They had used their time well, assembling their get ups, obviously putting in that more work than Kunzite had done. He was still wearing his uniform and cape. Only the headband with ears attached to it was his 'costume'.

Suddenly, as he walked past the opened double door to the garden, a hand grabbed his wrist. He spun on his heel, but whatever he had on the tip of his tongue, it was forgotten when he looked at the one who had dared to grab him.

A pair of starry eyes looked up at him from behind a silk fan, as crimson as the glove covering the hand holding it. Kunzite blinked at the woman in red dress, noticing mirth in her eyes.

Eyes the exact shade of green he had been looking for.

"It looks like this fox lady caught a bunny," said the person in red.

"Fox lady?" Kunzite asked, still surprised at how this person sneaked up on him after him spending a small eternity looking for them. The warm fingers left his wrist and reached behind her to grab something tied to the belt of her dress. Kunzite raised an eyebrow at the fluffy fox tail she showed him. "I see. I was looking for you."

"Was it to ask me for a dance, maybe?" she asked, playfully. Kunzite almost snorted. He could play along, if that was the other's wish.

"Of course. Would you dance with me, fox lady?" he asked and returned to the dance floor, holding a hand that looked fragile, but was holding his fingers in an iron grip. A real smile spread across his lips as he started to dance with the lady with strawberry blonde hair that fell on her back in a cascade of waves and curls. She wore a make up and there were cherry blossom earrings in her ears.

"So, what is the reason behind your costume?" Kunzite asked after a while of dancing.

"There is a legend where I'm from, about a fair fox lady," his partner said before spinning in his arms and resting her hand back on his shoulder. "I may tell it to you later. What is the history behind your splendid attire?"

He chuckled. Truly, his partner was a mischievous fox that knew how to make him laugh.

"This is a secret." Kunzite replied, causing the other to pout. "Alright. When I found the costume shop they had only bunny ears left."

It wasn't entirely true. They'd had more costumes, but Kunzite would rather die than discard his dignity to dress up as a mermaid or a maid. Rabbits were the Moon's most known and loved animals and the Princess adored them, it was the most fitting costume.

"Really?"the fox lady giggled. "You couldn't find your way? How come?"

"Is it that surprising I couldn't find a tiny shop in an unknown city?" Kunzite raised his eyebrow, choosing not to deny the fact that, indeed, he had trouble. There was no use bringing up the errant map, since it had been given to all the generals.

"It is!" his partner said, stepping around him in the complicated figure of the dance. "You, the great lord protector of Western Asia, who can find his way in the middle of a desert or in forest covered wild mountains, lost in a small district!"

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I have the costume," Kunzite declared, frowning a little at the teasing. His arm instinctively wrapped tightly around his partner for the next steps of the dance. There were far more people dancing now, than there had been earlier, they had to stay close together and constantly aware of their surroundings to avoid bumping in other dancers. His partner's body was warm and lean, muscles flexing under the skin of her exposed arms.

When the song ended, they walked out of the ballroom and into the garden. Kunzite sighed deeply as soon as they stepped out of the bright lit room into the soft darkness of the outside. Yes, there were stars and the Earth in the sky, there were lanterns lining the paths between flower beds and trees, but after the ballroom it was like a balm on his abused senses. The sounds from the palace were muffled here, he could actually hear his footsteps and the clicking on the high heels his companion wore against the tiles lining the path they were following. The air here was full of the sweet scents of flowers, but it was cool after the warmth of the ballroom. There were other people out there, but after what seemed like a thousand people crowd, Kunzite felt almost alone.

He glanced down to the fox lady walking at his arm, her head tilted and almost resting against his shoulder. In the dim light she looked like a creature from one of the countless stories his mother used to tell him when he had been a boy, not a general.

"The Earth looks so beautiful from here," his partner breathed out, green eyes looking back at the globe making its way across the sky. "So precious."

"Yes, it is, Zoisite," he murmured, observing the other. The fox lady gasped and looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes. "You might be the best of us to hide who you are behind a costume, but I swear to you, there is no way I couldn't recognize you."

"Oh, I..." the fox lady blushed and took a step back from him, a thousand emotions flashing in her eyes. Kunzite didn't let his companion decide if he wanted to stay or flee, he grabbed the hand in red lace glove and pulled the other back towards him. "Kunzite, I... Let me go!" the other stuttered.

"But if I do, you will run away. I really want to spend the party with you. And I like your costume and want to hear the fox lady legend," Kunzite said quietly. He really didn't want Zoisite to go, he had been looking forward to spending time with him. He knew they had missions together and could just talk via computers, but during the missions they were on duty and had to focus on their tasks. And Zoisite was delightful to be around in person - at least until he banded up with Obsidian or Vivianite to do some mischief.

Well, to be honest, some of the thing the trio did was amusing, but Kunzite wouldn't say that out loud.

"Oh," was all Zoisite said in a whisper, his cheek pressed against Kunzite's shoulder. "I kinda worried you'd think I'm weird for dressing as a girl."

"It isn't much weirder than you dressing as a rat that one time we had that mission in a dungeon in the wastelands," Kunzite smiled as he wrapped his arm around the other, his cape covering them bot. Zoisite's exposed arms were a bit too cold for his liking.

"Hey!" came a voice from behind him. "Miss, are you alright? Was Kunzite mean to you?" Kunzite looked to where Jadeite was approaching them - dressed in a kimono - and with a grim look on his face. "Kunzite, are you harassing this lady?"

"What made you think that?" Kunzite blinked at the blonde general.

"Don't deny it! I heard her crying for you to let her go. So, you let her go. Really, I'd never expect you to act so unsavory, Kunzite," he scolded as he finally stopped a few paces away. He spoke in a softer tone. "Miss? Are you alright?"

A pair of glowing green eyes glared at him from where the fox lady still stood close to the white-haired man, despite him no longer holding her.

"Get lost, Jadeite," Zoisite scowled at their well-meaning friend. Jadeite's face grew ghostly pale in the dim light cast by a nearby lantern, as he had a good look at the face of the supposed damsel in distress. His eyes darted between the pair a couple of times, before he closed his gaping mouth, turned around and stiffly marched back towards the ballroom, moving like a puppet brought to motion by sharp tugs on its strings.

Zoisite made a soft huff and straightened his back, glaring after the other man,.

Kunzite just stared for a moment, before he ducked his head, shielding his face by his bent arm and the expanse of his cape. His shoulders shook, as he stood there, gasping for air.

"Kunzite? What's going on?" he heard Zoisite's concerned voice and did all he could to rein in his reaction. Sadly, after a whole evening of being tense and then witnessing the exchange between Jadeite and Zoisite, he was unable to stop himself. "Hey, are you having a stroke or something?" Zoisite grabbed his arm.

Kunzite finally broke, he threw his head back and started to laugh. 


	5. Angel Wings

A/N; So yeah, updates on this story will be slow as snails, but they will be happening. I hope it will be at least fun to read when they will be updated.

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**Angel Wings**

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It was rather admirable of Jadeite, the way he'd come to see if a girl was alright, concerned and ready to scold a general stronger than himself, his soon-to-be superior.

But at the same time - the look on his face when he found out that the 'lady' was Zoisite - that was simply hilarious.

Kunzite smothered his final chuckles and straightened his back, He schooled his face in a look of stoic indifference,

"So, Lord Kunzite, are you alright?" came the voice of the fox lady.

"Ahem, yes. I'm fine," he said, glad that his companion chose to stay with him despite his identity being revealed.

"Um... What now?" the male dressed as female asked, glancing away awkwardly. "Should I change or..."

"You are perfectly fine as you are now," Kunzite declared. "Besides, changing out of your costume would be a violation of the Princess and the Prince's wishes. You must admit, you did a great job of hiding who you are."

"You seemed to not have any trouble figuring that out." Zoisite pouted.

"That's because... Hm," Kunzite ran a hand through his hair as he looked up to the Earth. "I believe we were admiring the Earth before we were interrupted."

"This isn't an answer!" the fox lady pouted. Kunzite remained silent. "Alright, let's make a deal. I will tell you the legend of the fox lady and you will tell me where my acting was lacking."

"And what if I didn't want to partake in this deal?" Kunzite raised an eyebrow. The fox lady put her hands on her hips.

"Well, I think I might find a more talkative companion for the rest of the ball," Zoisite looked back towards the door of the ballroom, through which they could see people having fun inside.

"Hm," Kunzite narrowed his eyes. Zoisite glanced at him and started twirling a strand of hair falling over his shoulder. "Alright then. I will tell you."

"Really?" the emerald eyes looked up at him. Kunzite outstretched his hand towards Zoisite and as soon as the other put his hand in his, he pulled him closer.

"Yes," he said. He wasn't too keen on telling Zoisite why he was able to see through his costume, but he was no coward, he would do that if it was required of him. "But first, tell me about this legend."

They started walking again, shoulders brushing against each other as they went away from the palace, following the dimly lit path across the forest. Pale flowers seemed to over glow scattered bushes and flower beds. The other people walking in the gardens were talking among themselves, not paying them any attention, it felt as if they were alone.

"There was a small town in Europe," Zoisite said, his eyes drifting up to the Earth, shining overhead. "It was one of those little, peaceful ones where nothing big happens. But in this one something started to happen - people started going missing. The townsfolk was trying to find out what was responsible, but all they figured out was that it was a fox."

"A fox stealing humans?" Kunzite asked. "Aren't foxes more interested in stealing chickens?"

"This one stole humans. Young, handsome men, usually travelers," Zoisite explained. "Well, most of them was found a handful of days later on the outskirts of the town, with no memories of what had happened, with no money or valuables. Finally, one day, a scholar from neighboring town came to reveal the mystery and catch the fox. He arrived during a party in the town center and loudly stated, that he was going to catch the fox and kill it without mercy. He said the fox was a terrible monster and that he, the scholar, would put an end to its reign of terror."

Kunzite walked silently beside his companion, listening. It reminded him of how his mother had used to tell him and his sibling countless tales back in the day.

"Little did he know that the fox was among the gathered listeners," Zoisite continued as he walked gracefully, his step measured. "And she didn't like how he spoke of her. No, she was no monster, albeit she didn't love humans, for they were often responsible for her kin's death. She would toy with them, steal their belongings, she would spell them, but she rarely killed any. She despised prideful men denying her the right to live, saying she was a mindless beast."

"Was she one of the beings brought to Earth from Helios' realm?" Kunzite asked, but Zoisite shrugged and shook his head.

"Who knows, maybe? Anyway, after his bold statement, there were three people missing for days and found with their heads shaved. Thrice the man came to ask about the fox in the town, each time there were three victims. The fourth time the scholar came to a party thrown by the town's leader. He was angry, because no one wanted to talk to him, since those talking to him were usually the victims. Finally, he approached the fox herself. And as he started asking her harshly for answers, she screamed for help, calling to the townspeople that he was the fox."

"Hm." Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "Did they believe her?"

"Of course! She was one of them, living among them for years. And he was the man from outside. The townspeople tied him up and took him to the court to be sentenced to jail. The she-fox watched as they took him and they say that before they lifted him from the floor to carry him away, she allowed him to see the tip of her tail from under the hem of her dress."

"There is a merit to this story. Had he been more careful, he wouldn't have ended in jail," Kunzite smirked. "Crafty lady, she used the fact he was a stranger to her advantage."

Zoisite giggled and looked up at him. Their path was circling around a small pond, back towards the palace.

"Alright, now it's your turn. What gave me away?" he asked, curiosity clear in his eyes. Kunzite sighed - he was going to do as he promised, but he felt uncertain if the other would be alright with his answer. He just hoped Zoisite wouldn't find it unsettling.

"No one here has the same hair and the exact same green eyes as you do," he said, looking straight ahead. "No one has the same moving pattern as you do."

"Oh," came Zoisite's soft reply. Kunzite carefully didn't look his way, waiting for a question about why he memorized that. "You're pretty observant."

Kunzite hummed, waiting for his next words. Was Zoisite going to accuse him of being a stalker or something like that? People usually didn't study other people so closely, at least to his knowledge. People who were fascinated by others were usually just approaching them and expressing their interest, right? Not waiting for a party as an excuse to spend time with them. He sighed inwardly.

"Alright," Zoisite clapped his hands and rubbed them . "Next time I will do better and you will not know it's me. Now... I know where a big bowl of angel wings stands and I really want to try some."

Kunzite stared at him for a second, before his tensed body relaxed and he gave a small nod. ""Do you mean the twisted cookies that dissolve to crumbs whenever you try to bite them?"

"Ah, you're eating them wrong, if they do that!" Zoisite laughed and grabbed his wrist. "Come, I will teach you how to eat them properly!"

A couple minutes later, standing next to a cloth-covered round table housing a huge bowl of sweet cookies, Kunzite glared from his crumbs-covered uniform to the cookie Zoisite was eating, no sweet bits on his vividly red dress. Zoisite noticed his glare and laughed before finishing his angel wing.

"You have to pick smaller ones at first. And then you open your mouth wide and bite them like this," another cookie was eaten, but Kunzite couldn't see the difference between how Zoisite and he ate their sweets.

Which was only mildly annoying, because he was having a nice time.

Focusing on his companion, he could almost forget they were in a big crowded room, with bright light and no place to really hide from view of others. Instinctively he was tensing every time a person walked too close to them or stared for too long. He knew he was doing nothing wrong, but a part of him expected to be called out on breaking some rule.

He picked a small angel wing and put it to his mouth, glaring at the dusting of powder sugar that flew down from it in a cloud when his hand moved. He bit off a piece of the cookie very carefully. Zoisite giggled.

"No, no, you're doing it wrong!" he said, looking at the new addition to Kunzite's crumb collection. "Try to stop trying to be careful so hard!"

"Hm," Kunzite swallowed what he had in his mouth, then he brushed the front of his uniform off. "I think I will have a break from angel wings for now."

"I never expected you to give up so easily. You're so relentless and thorough when you're performing your duties," Zoisite teased, snapping open his fan and hiding his smirk behind it.

Soon after he was laughing again, Kunzite narrowing his eyes at him as he chewed a cookie. Before he could answer, he noticed a pair approaching them.

His hands quickly brushed off the front of his uniform before they came to stand beside them. Zoisite hid his face behind the fan, but the eyes glowing from above it were full of amusement.

"Prince, Princess," Kunzite inclined his head. The fox lady beside him bowed gracefully.

"Kunzite." they both greeted and the Princess continued. "You don't have to use titles, it's not an official party."

"She's right," the Prince inclined his head and looked at his companion. "I see that you made a new friend. Who might you be, my lady?"

Kunzite, who was halfway to tell them that using titles was a habit he wasn't going to lose, felt the words leave him in a sigh of disbelief. The Princess looked just as clueless, observing the fox lady with curious eyes.

"You may call me Miss Grenade, my Prince," Zoisite giggled, looking almost coy as he averted his eyes to the side. Endymion smiled widely.

"It's nice to see that Kunzite didn't go to hide in a park for a change and made a new friend," he said, glancing at Kunzite, who was too stunned to roll his eyes. How could the Prince of Earth not recognize one of his generals? Well, maybe it was less easy to him, since he hadn't been watching him from afar for months, but still...

The Princess meanwhile picked an angel wing and started to eating it happily.

"I love these," she sighed as she helped herself to another.

"Me too," the fox lady giggled. "They're simply divine!"

"Oh, yes!" the Princess nodded eagerly and for a moment both of them munched on the cookies happily. Endymion glanced at Kunzite.

"Do you think you could part with your companion for the duration of a dance?" he asked, grinning. "I promise I won't tell her any embarrassing stories about you."

"A dance is a wonderful idea!" the fox lady said before Kunzite could. Then she extended her hand towards the Princess. "Princess Serenity, may I have a dance?"

"Oh, of course!" the Prince blinked in surprise, but agreed. The fox lady looked back at them as she led her dance partner to the dancing area. Kunzite smirked at the stunned look on his Prince's face.

"It's Zoisite," Endymion said to Kunzite, eyes wide.

"I promise not to tell other generals that you didn't recognize him," Kunzite reached for an angel wing.

Not even a minute passed before a familiar voice reached Kunzite's ears and a feminine hand touched his shoulder. He looked to the side to see Lady Minako and Lady Rei, both smiling at him and at his Prince. And since the Prince decided to invite Lady Rei to a dance, Kunzite felt compelled to do the same with Lady Minako.

Which, of course, meant that he couldn't have more angel wings that evening.

But the upside of being stuck with the talkative, energetic lady was that Kunzite soon learned the identity of at least two Sailor Scouts.

Still, when they all gathered, pieces of the birthday cake in hand, submitting their guesses to their superiors, Kunzite felt more than a bit disappointed he couldn't spend more time with Zoisite.

The ending of the ball was amusing to say the least. The guests removed their masks and the Princess pointed all the Sailor Scouts and the generals. It was hilarious to see Nephrite's disbelieving face at the fact that Lady Naru wasn't one of the famed guardians of the Silver Kingdom.

As much as it was interesting to meet the women responsible for protecting the Moon, Kunzite found this part of the party not as much fun as the part he'd spent with Zoisite. It was going to take a while to learn about them all and how to work together - which seemed to be something unavoidable in the future, since the Prince and the Princess were so intent on tightening the ties between their kingdoms.

As the party guests retired for the night, Kunzite found himself wandering into the gardens again, his gaze drifting to where the Earth was moving across the sky.


End file.
